During the last decade, there has been a great deal of research on the negative effects of excessive video game playing and overall “screen time” (TV, computer, video games, etc.) on children. Historically, behavioral problems in individuals exposed to excessive television viewing has been fairly well-documented. And, the previous models applied to excessive television viewing are being increasingly applied to video games.
The American Medical Association along with the American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org), has recently found that excessive gaming can lead to “Video Game Addiction.” Although controversial, the definition of Video Game Addiction is an excessive or compulsive use of video games that interferes with a person's everyday life. Individuals typically have a classically conditioned response to video game stimulation that produces a compulsive of addictive pattern of use. In traditional addiction models (which are ever more frequently being applied to video gaming), dopamine levels are elevated via an operant reward, creating a neural pattern that is more securely embedded in the nervous system.
Although not a formal diagnosis in the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, the DSM-IV has listed Video Game Addiction as a ‘condition for further study.’ Video Game Addiction has been linked to poor school performance, aggressive behaviors, sleep and eating problems, obesity, social withdrawal/exclusion of other life events, mood swings, diminished imagination, and attention problems as well as in increase in epileptic seizures (Emotional and Behavioral Effects of Video Games and Internet Overuse, Report of the Council of Science and Public Health, CSAPH Report 12-A-07).
More recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that children under 2 year of age not be exposed to “screen time.” Furthermore, they recommend that parents limit children's screen time to one to two hours a day, keeping children's bedrooms, free from media, and keeping violent video games out of homes where they may be observed or played by young children.
Currently, there is no systematic way for parents to control and monitor the amount of screen time to which their children are exposed. The primary problem facing parents involves gaining control over screened devices (e.g., television, computer, gaming console) without a power struggle. Transitioning from screen time to a less preferred activity (e.g., study time) can be particular problematic. In many cases, parents will try to physically intervene, or they will attempt to shut the screen off prematurely. This can lead to a physical and/or verbal confrontation that can and often does become repetitive, time consuming, and exhausting for both parents and children.